Survival
by Mastermind416
Summary: Two years after the Hundred Year war has ended, a sudden tragedy has overtaken the land. The dead rise from their slumber and prey on the living, hording into massive groups to fend for themselves. The Earth Kingdom has crumbled, the Water Tribes have disappeared, and the Fire Nation's status is completely unknown. Non-benders beware, the zombie apocalypse has begun.


**Hey guys! This idea came to me while I was watching The Walking Dead and **_**of course**_** I had to write it. I mean, come on, zombies AND the Avatar? HECK YEAH!**

**Buuuut I'm still debating whether to rate it T or M because of some of the gore.**

**But anyways guys, here it goes, my first disclaimer...**

**I completely, utterly, and in every way imaginable am not associated with Mike & Bryan or Avatar... *sniffle* if only...**

**Now on to the show...**

**Survival I**

_"Rest assured my brothers and sisters, these attacks are simply isolated incidents of schizophrenic cannibalism. Nothing more. On behalf of the Fire Nation and the United Republic of Nations, we ask that you not do panic and follow your nation's directions in the case of a larger scaled incident. Listen to your instructions, and we will get out on the other side greater than when we crawled in. Thank you."  
__-passage from speech given by Fire Lord Zuko 31 days before outbreak._

A lone campfire stood with four tents circled around it, with another earth tent standing further apart from the others. Crickets chirped from their tufts of grass and the stars spied on all that transpired under the night sky. Trees swayed lightly in the silent breeze, enjoying the stillness that the night provided.

Then the sun slid in, slowly sneaking into the eastern edge of the sky. The first rays of light pierced through the darkness, bringing with it the beginning of the dawn, growing in strength until the sun shined high above.

Katara opened the flaps of her tent and stepped out. She walked over to the ashes of the campfire and took a pot that was hanging over the now deceased fire. Closing her eyes she took a few precious sips of the cold water, grateful for the needed quenching. Momo peeked up from his perch above Aang's tent in curiosity. Katara put down the pot and smiled at the lemur.

She walked over to a large backpack set against the earth tent and rummaged it through for more firewood, but found none. She sighed and walked to Sokka's tent. "Sokka, I'm going to get more-" she stopped abruptly, his snoring cutting her off. Katara shook her head, a smile on her lips. She grabbed a hatchet from the other side of the camp and made for the nearby treeline, which was only about 100 yards away.

Her boots crunched under fallen pine needles as she silently wondered where some dry wood could be found. It had been raining for a few days and only recently stopped to allow a breather. The creek they had decided to camp beside had nearly overflowed and turned into a lake.

Her mind began to wander, thinking of times both gone and to be. Moments filled her mind where she thought she was on top of the world, where she was the most famous woman in the world, well, next to Toph. She always was the better fighter. She began to think of her mother, her father, what might have became of... no, she mustn't think of that. Not now. She must stay strong. Crying was for the weak... but then again no one was around.

As she thought this she heard the crunch of leaves, and the breathing of someone behind her. She sighed, "Sokka it's okay, really. I can handle myself without-" Arms grasped her shoulders strongly, yet unsteadily. Dirty, broken fingernails dig deep into the fabric of her shirt, threatening to tear it to shreds as they grope for the soft skin underneath. Her shock increased as she heard the cracking of bones and she _felt_ her assailant's chest cave in from the impact of her kick.

The hands loosened their grip and gave Katara room to move, just enough to break free. She practically jumped forward into a small pile of leaves scattered across the floor and turned to see a sight she could never unsee.

A person dressed in a badly faded green tunic stood above her, staring blankly at Katara. His mouth was open in an emotionless gape, foam dripping from the brim onto the forest floor. The left side of his face was utterly mutilated, not a single scrap of clean flesh in sight.

After staring for what felt like an eternity, their eyes locked, he began lurching forward. Slowly at first, but building in pace until he was stumbling at about the speed of a good run.

Katara stumbled to her feet and pulled her hatchet, doubtful it could defend against one of the agents of the undead, yet knowing that it was her only chance.

The walker tried to grab at her face, but was instead hit in the head with the blunt side of the hatchet. The abomination showed no sign of pain nor did it slow its attack as it pinned Katara up against a large tree. He pressed down hard on her shoulders and began moving in to bite her neck.

She lurched a blood-curdling scream before pulling the hatchet up to defend herself, pushing back on the walker with a strength born of desperation. It held him back, keeping his snapping maw out of reach of her body. But how long could she keep this up? How long until her arms grew tired and fell? What then? Her mind raced with what she could do. She could slip to the left or right. Maybe try to kick in the ankles. But in the end what would it help if a blow to the head with a hatchet did nothing?

Suddenly, something to her side yelled in rage and a gust of extremely powerful wind hit the walker's side, throwing him into the air and landing him in the ground a few yards from where Katara stood. She turned her head just in time to see Aang, his eyes filled with anger and hate and his hands set aflame.

He lurched at the assailant and connected his flaming fists with his head, over and over again, his rage consuming him. Katara stood in mute shock against the tree, her mind simply observing Aang pound again and again into the corpse's head until there was almost nothing left; its head was completely flattened into the forest floor.

Aang stopped when his mind registered there was nothing left, that the beast who dared assault Katara was dead. He stood slowly, his breathing coming in deeply and uneven and his hands shaking. He turned his head and said calmly, "You shouldn't be out here alone." He turned and walked back in the direction of camp.

Katara stood and tried to move, but her legs would not respond. After a few minutes, her brain finally kicked back into gear and let her move. When she arrived back at camp Sokka and Toph were out of their tents, waiting.

"Where've you been!" Sokka shouted. "We thought you had died!"

Toph walked over to Katara and hugged her. "I did too." she said in an innocent voice.

Katara sighed and looked over at Aang's tent just in time to see his eyes flutter back inside. "I went to gather firewood. One of them grabbed me from behind. Aang saved me." She was surprised at the calmness of her voice.

Sokka looked from Aang's tent to Katara. "Well, at least you're safe. But please promise me you'll wake me up the next time you go out."

Toph sighed. "Please don't leave like that again. It took all my strength not to put that guy in an earth cage to stop his jabbering." she exclaimed as she lightly punched her arm. She silently walking over to her sleeping bag, previously covered with her tent.

Katara looked over the pitiful campsite which they called home. She remembered when there were entire palaces dedicated to her pleasure, entire nations screaming her name in thanks. Yet all of that was gone in a week. One simple week.

She sighed and looked over to Aang's tent. _I better go talk to him,_ she thought.

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**Bigger chapters on the way as soon as I get an idea of where to go. I already have some ideas, but I need some more feedback for how the story idea fits with others.**

**Alert & fav if you think it's worth it, review whenever possible.**

**PEACE!**

_Thanks to MezzicStorm for BETA reading._


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